


Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: A Friend of Mine [7]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Other, Talk of Relapse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-28 04:44:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18749272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Staying sober was hard. (But some war buddies are there to help.)





	Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spikedpoppies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikedpoppies/gifts).



> from the prompt by spikedpoppies: 100% of the 173rd follows klaus around semi-constantly, klaus gets a routine eventually because will insists on going to his knitting circle on tuesdays despite being dead, and charlie tells klaus about how much he misses his racing pigeons he kept, and rodrigez reminiseces on how he used to play checkers in the park. And of course, Ellen is on at four. Soon enough, klaus has a week schedule jam-packed with old people activities. Its weird, because all he used to do was scrounge for drugs and pass out. But now he has stuff to do that isnt mourning or thinking about how much he misses heroin, and its good for him.  
> Also just imagine klaus rolling up to replace some old dude in whatever activity. Diego has to drive him to water aerobics at the YMCA and almost died laughing.
> 
> this is the last i have planned for this 'verse and to me, this feels like a good ending but i have "ended" this series once before so who knows. i do have other fics for this fandom planned so hopefully i'll actually write them. thank you all for all your support over these fics! you all are so lovely and wonderful!

It started with Ellen. Ellen Degeneres that was, not someone Klaus knew personally. No, he knew Phil personally and Phil watched Ellen religiously. Klaus wasn’t stupid, he was aware that while Phil did like her show (and it was good show) the reason he forced Klaus to watch it was for stability. At first Phil acted like it was just happenstance that they were always near a tv at four in the afternoon, but Klaus knew better. 

Klaus was actually pretty thankful for it.

With the apocalypse supposedly happening soon, as well as all the flashbacks, panic attacks, and the temptation of drugs and alcohol it was nice to just focus on Ellen for an hour a day.

And then he remembered how during ‘Nam, Will talked about knitting and he picked up some needles and yarn at the thrift store that let him take things without paying. They were always nice to him, as long as he didn’t take too much stuff at once. He showed up at Phil’s with the needles and asked if he knew how to knit.

Phil didn’t, but he knew the knitting circle Will went to before he passed a few years ago.

And that was how Klaus almost burst out laughing the first time he showed up at the circle and ghost Will was there, standing around and giving a dry commentary to the (mostly) older ladies sitting around the room. Klaus introduced himself as a friend of Will’s while Will gaped at him, surprised to see him there.

So it became Ellen at four on weekdays and knitting at two thirty on Tuesdays.

The apocalypse didn’t happen (thank god) and Klaus continued to work at being sober.

It was _hard_.

“Hargreeves!” Will yelled at him as he was trying to sleep, “Knittin’ time. Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” He clapped his hands, making it seem urgent.

“Will! I can miss one Tuesday,” Klaus said, trying to get swallowed by his blankets on his _oh too comfortable bed_. The day had been hard. He hadn’t wanted to get up so he’d just stayed in bed. No one had checked in on him, he hadn’t eaten or showered and was not prepared to go outside and deal with people.

He just wanted to get high.

Will’s face was suddenly in front of his, “LaVerne had met her granddaughter earlier this week. She’ll have pictures. We gotta go see the baby, Spook. Knit the baby a little stocking cap with a poof on top.”

“I’m not good enough to knit that, I can barely manage a scarf,” Klaus sighed. “And you can go alone and see the pictures. You don’t need me to escort you.”

“You’ll get good enough to knit that if you go,” Will tried. 

Klaus knew what Will was doing. He also knew that he _should_ go to the knitting circle and see pictures of LaVerne’s granddaughter. But he worried that if he left the room he’d go get drunk or high. “Who would stop me from taking a detour, Will? And the ladies won’t miss me, I’ve only gone twice so far.”

“Call Phil. Or any of your stupid siblings. Explain that you want to go knit! Hell, tell them I’m making you go! They can come to knitting class,” Will answered, doing his best at being his bossy self.

Klaus sat up and threw his blanket on the floor, “ _Ugh_ , fine. I’ll find someone in this house to come knit with me, you loser.”

“Fucking right you will, Hargreeves,” Will gave an exaggerated nod. “And then make them take you to a diner. You need food, idiot. Put on the socks Hyacinth made you last week. She’ll love that you’re wearing them.”

“I forgot how pushy you could be,” Klaush sighed, searching for the socks.

The first person he ran into when he finally left his room was Five. He was pacing in the library muttering to Delores about some math thing, “Five?”

Five’s head snapped up, “What?” He sounded tense.

“I gotta go to a knitting class,” Klaus said, hoping he wouldn’t have to say more.

“So? Then go,” Five dismissed him.

Sighing, Klaus idly scratched at his arm, “Well, it’s just. Can you take me?” He didn’t like how his voice wavered.

But that seemed to catch Five’ attention, “Fine. I need a break from all this anyway.”

And that was how Five started going to knitting with Klaus every week. Turned out, hanging out with other people his age helped Five deal with everything. Not that the nice ladies knew he was their age. Five had been annoyed at first when he showed up and they chattered around him as if he was young teen. But between Will and Five, Klaus never missed a knitting class. 

Next came bimonthly family meals with Phil and his daughters. 

And then reconnecting with Cade. On top of Phil hanging out, making him watch Ellen and coming to the family dinners as well as knitting class with Will and Five.

“You’re getting busy,” Ben commenting with a slight smile as Klaus escorted Vanya to her practice one day. 

“That’s probably good, right?” Klaus chewed at his thumbnail, glancing at Ben and Dave.

“Yeah, I think so,” Dave agreed.

Klaus sighed and then told Vanya that while she was at practice he was going to walk in the small park across the street, “Don’t worry, I’ve got my two best ghosts with me to yell at me if I am tempted to get anything more than an ice cream.” 

She smiled at him and said if he wasn’t back in time, she’d go looking for him after practice.

She ended up having to go looking for him because while at the park, a ghost ran up to them, “Katz? Hargreeves?” When they both looked at him questioningly, he added, “Rodrigez!”

“Ben!” Ben yelled back, grin on his face.

“Ben!” Rodrigez pointed at him, just as enthused. “Holy shit! I can’t believe you all are here!”

“And you!” Dave said happily, “What are you doing here?”

Rodrigez looked across at the park. He looked like he’d gotten into the golden years at the end of life before he passed, which had made it harder for Klaus to identify him. Klaus idly wondered how many more of the 173rd he’d run into in the city. 

“I used to play chess here when it was nice out,” Rodrigez looked up at the sky. “Like today.”

Klaus glanced at the empty chess tables, “It’s been years since I played, and I was never great, but I got time for a game. If you want?”

Rodrigez’s smile had the same shark-like quality he’d always had. 

Vanya found them during their third game. “Who’re you playing against?” She asked.

“War buddy, Rodrigez,” Klaus sighed when Rodrigez told Klaus to move his bishop to take Klaus’s rook. And Klaus had _plans_ for that rook! 

Vanya smiled and sat down next to Klaus. Sure, she sat in Dave, but he got up right away and stood beside her. She then joined Klaus’s team for somehow between the two of them Klaus finally won a game.

Klaus almost felt like his life was becoming a Dr. Suess book. One of those that listed things but just kept adding bits. Like _Green Eggs and Ham_. 

I am Klaus  
Klaus I am  
I do not like ecstasy known as adam  
I would not like them at four  
Ellen’s on and Phil’s at the door  
I would not like them at two-thirty  
I have to knit a hat for a baby  
I would not like them at the park  
Because Will always grins like a shark

Maybe not Klaus’s best work, but making up Dr. Seuss inspire rhymes was hard. 

Oh boy, did he want some molly.

That meant it was time for a distraction. He picked up his knitting needles and worked more on LaVerne’s baby hat. 

Eventually they had one party then another and the family meals along with all the other things his friends and family had him doing, and he never had time to go searching for drugs if he wanted them (he did). And whenever he fell off the wagon everyone was so _nice_ and _understanding_ about it and they shouldn’t have been. They should’ve yelled at him, hit him, threw him back in the mausoleum.

But they weren’t his dad.

Being back at the Academy was _confusing_ and he honestly kept expecting dear daddy Sir Reginald Hargreeves to come out of his study and say that Klaus was a disappointment and a failure and he’d spend days in the mausoleum. 

But instead he found kindness and understanding from his friends and siblings. 

Klaus paced his room, trying to not scratch at his arms, “Why Ben? Why is everyone so kind? And caring?”

Ben looked up from his book as he lounged on Klaus’s bed, “Because they can be kind and they care about you?”

Klaus scoffed. And itched. And paced. 

Dave stood in his way, “Want to practice chess so you can beat Will tomorrow?”

Klaus gave a grateful smile, “Sure, babes. Sounds great.”

And so Klaus stayed up most of the night playing Dave then Ben then some random ghosts at chess and got a little better.

He still couldn't beat Will without Vanya’s help though. Thankfully she’d help him beat Will when she was done with her orchestra practices. As long as it was nice out, she’d join him at the park and play at least one game. It was honestly really lovely, them teaming up against Will.

And then Sergio came back, first time seeing him after the party, “I miss my pigeons.”

“Sucks dude,” Klaus sympathized, flopping down on a sofa. 

Klaus remembered Vietnam when all the guys were sharing things about their past and everyone had been a bit scared of Sergio at first because he was quiet and _big,_ but then he said he missed his racing pigeons. Mostly one named Gabriella. Klaus didn’t remember what type of pigeon she was _(“She’s a piebald homer”)_ but boy if he didn’t want to get some pigeons to make Sergio smile.

And that was how Klaus found himself at Home Depot about a fifteen minutes before it closed in nothing but a red plaid mini skirt and gold pumps with tear tracks undoubtedly making his make-up run as he grabbed the nearest employee, “Give me everything to build a pigeon coop or I will not leave.”

The employee he grabbed was a little younger than Phil. After a second to process what Klaus said he patted him on the back, “Don’t worry son, you don’t need to threaten me. You actually remind me of my son-in-law. He’s quite the character--” he started rambling but Klaus was too focused on the types of wood and looking for knots? Were those good or bad? Did he have the money to pay for this? _Where was he going to build the pigeon coop?_

Where would he get pigeons? Did he have to buy them? Would some city pigeons just move themselves in? Were city pigeons the same as Sergio’s racing pigeons?

The kind clerk helped Klaus pick out wood and enough of it for the project (?) and some extra stuff which was important for the coop (?) even though Klaus made the employee stay after closing. But Klaus had been anxious that night and _nothing_ had been working. None of the usual tricks were keeping him from wanting to turn tricks and then buy drugs. 

Fuck him.

Just _fuck him_.

But fuck he was going to build this coop for Sergio and get fucking pigeons and play chess with Rodregiz and go fucking knit with Will and all the shit that Phil and Cade wanted to do while they were still alive _(fuck they will die one day too and probably before he does **fuck** )_. 

So Klaus ordered enough wood to build a coop. He couldn’t take anything home that night because he fucking walked there like and idiot. On the way home he had to say _no_ to some ‘friends’ he’d made over the years as well as strangers. No he didn’t want drugs or booze (he did), no he didn't want to fuck them for money (he did), and no he didn’t want to fuck them for drugs or booze (he did). 

“Luther, bud, you’re strong, right?” Klaus found him that night, make-up still smeared on his face. 

Luther squinted at him, he’d been up late reading. Or that’s what he would say but the dead nanny who had told Klaus where to find Luther said he’d been staying up to make sure Klaus came home safe, which made Klaus feel cared for. Maybe if he got kidnapped again someone would notice he was gone. “Yeah, Klaus. That’s sort of my thing?”

“Great,” Klaus thought his smile felt fake, “I ordered a lot of wood just now and I think it's getting delivered tomorrow?”

“Yeah, after two,” Ben supplied.

Klaus nodded and did a finger gun at Ben, “Yeah, after two.”

Poor Luther looked lost, “Why did you order a bunch of wood?”

“I’m going to build a pigeon coop. Or try to. And then keep pigeons,” Klaus shrugged. “It can’t be that hard, right? They basically take care of themselves? Doesn’t matter,” He waved his hand back and forth. 

“Pigeons?” Luther said slowly.

“Racing pigeons,” Klaus replied. “Gonna keep ‘em. Do you know how to build a coop? Or like, do we even have tools here? Like a hammer?”

Putting his book down, Luther frowned in thought, “I don’t know how to build one, no. But we do have maintenance tools that should work. I’ll help you build it tomorrow.”

Klaus nodded absently, “Good, good. I’ll ask Sergio more about it, he kept pigeons back in the day. He’ll know about coops, right? He probably built his without the use of a hammer, that man is like the size of you without all the monkey DNA bullshit.”

“Sergio?” Luther asked.

Klaus debated telling a joke and then going to lay down in his room, alone. Or as alone as you could be when you were haunted by your brother and your boyfriend (along with _everyone else_ ). But then Dave gave him a look and Ben gestured to Luther. They clearly wanted him to open up and talk about his feelings. He looked at Luther and noted how his body language was open and he’d set his book down. Luther had honestly asked about Sergio. With a sigh, Klaus sat down beside his brother and spent a few hours telling him about Sergio and some of the others who Luther had never met. It was good. Talking to Luther helped relieve the feeling of needing to go get drunk or find his next hit.

Maybe there was something to it when everyone said that talking helped. 

The next morning Klaus was up early, trying to do research on racing pigeons and where he could get his hands on some. By the time Luther was up Klaus had already heard about a thing called a pigeon show, sounded like it started with people showing off pigeons but was now more a monthly flea market with junk and antiques and treasures as well as livestock and dogs and birds. 

It wasn’t too far out of the city. However in the other direction than Cade lived so he wouldn’t invite him to go. He should invite someone though. 

After Luther was up they watched some videos on how to build a pigeon coop. As well as other coops. And hutches. Luther seemed interested in breeding rabbits. Maybe they would raise animals together; Klaus and his pigeons and Luther and his bunnies. “The pigeon show often has bunnies for sale too,” Klaus nudged Luther’s shoulder.

The image of Luther holding a tiny baby rabbit in his stupidly large hands brought a weird warm and happy feeling in Klaus. It was something he hadn’t felt in a while, if ever. Without the drugs Klaus had so many more emotions, he was having to remember some and get acquainted with others. This was one he rather liked.

After the material for the coop arrived the two of them with the help of Sergio and the internet somehow managed to make something that could be called a coop. Klaus was actually proud of Luther for sticking it out to help him finish building the whole thing when Klaus started off with some strong jokes about the wood (penis) and continued with similar jokes.

The coop itself looked like a strong wind might knock it over but after Luther had tripped into it and it held steady they knew it was made of sturdier stuff. It just kind of leaned a bit. Klaus tilted his head to the degree the coop tilted, “My pigeons will like this.”

Luther gave a small smile, “If you say so.”

Klaus made sure to take Luther (and Sergio) to the pigeon show. At that point Klaus wasn’t even sure if the rest of his family knew that he and Luther built a coop on one of the roof’s balconies. Besides, Luther had an investment in Klaus’s pigeons now. They _bonded_ while building.

Also Klaus made sure to get Luther a pet bunny.

After they get back home and Luther took his new pet to his room to hop around or whatever while Klaus went to his homemade pigeon coop and started putting his birds in. Sergio was there beside him, telling him about the breeds of birds. When Sergio mentioned that he’d bought a piebald homer, Klaus winked at him, “I know. That’s the only one I’ve named so far.” He turned before putting her in the coop and with an ease he didn’t always have, he made Sergio corporeal and handed the bird over, “Meet Gabriella 2.”

Eventually the others found out about the pigeons.

It was like one of those _If You Give a Mouse a Cookie_ books where one thing always led to another.

At breakfast the next day, Luther had asked after how they were doing and Five’s head snapped up and stared at Klaus and he spoke about Gabby and the others. Vanya stopped by to take him to lunch later and had to ask where he was, Five then transported her to him on the balcony. Deigo, Vanya, and Klaus were out a bit after that and Diego made a comment about the city pigeons and Vanya said they weren’t as pretty as Klaus’s pigeons. Allison brought Claire to visit a bit after all that and Diego bent down to Claire’s level and asked if she wanted to meet her uncle Klaus’s birds, having to explain to Allison that they were racing pigeons and not a parrot who would say rude words, don’t worry.

After that, Klaus’s life got even more of a schedule. It was weird. It made him want to itch. He felt more caged than before. But he also knew it was good for him. He’ been feeling caged because of structure and he couldn't just go get high in an alley because Ellen was on at four and his birds get fed at five and it was family night and he can’t get high in an alley because then he’d miss all that. 

Allison was visiting and showing off her latest pictures of Claire for Klaus when he heard, “You should start scrapbooking the pictures.”

_”Jesus!”_ Klaus exclaimed, hand going to his heart as he looked up, “Ned?”

Allison looked around the room and probably didn’t see anyone. Klaus however saw Ned. Last he knew he’d died about a decade ago back in the midwest. “You could’a warned a dude.”

Ned shrugged. He was a big guy, not as big as Sergio but big and stoic. He knew that others in the unit were surprised when Klaus could not only drink him under the table but make him laugh. He was always so serious.

“You should start scrapbooking the pictures,” Ned repeated himself.

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me,” Klaus ran a hand over his face.

“What’s going on?” Allison asked, looking around.

“Ned says we should start scrapbooking the pictures,” Klaus relayed.

Allison was thoughtful for a moment, “Scrapbook?”

Klaus nodded. 

“It’s relaxing,” Ned added. “Just print the pictures off on a good printer. That’s the key to a good scrapbook.”

“This isn’t some weird prank Cade put you up to is it?” Klaus asked before answering himself, “No of course not. Cade can’t see you.”

“It could be fun,” Allison smiled. “I wouldn’t mind a scrapbook of pictures of Claire. I could bring pictures of her when she was younger and make a really pretty book. Like a photo album but nicer.”

Ned nodded and pointed at her, “She gets it.”

And then the three of them went to a scrapbooking store nearby (because those were a thing, apparently). Ned helped point out things they should buy like scissors that cut in zig-zag lines and stickers and colored paper and glue sticks and glitter. 

When they made it back home after the shopping trip Allison printed off a number of her latest pictures of Claire. While she was off doing that, Dave came up to Klaus and Ned, “Hey Ned! What’s going on?”

“Scrapbooking,” Ned and Klaus said at the same time. 

Dave smiled at that, “You should make copies of the pictures Phil gave you of us and do a scrapbook of that.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ned agreed.

Klaus threw his hands up in the air, “Why the fuck not?”

All of this was how Klaus and Allison ended up spending an afternoon making a mess of the kitchen table with paper scraps and glitter. Scrapbooking was actually relaxing as Ned claimed, and Klaus found himself really liking it. It was a nice creative outlet for him. Sure, knitting was too, but this was a different sort of creative. 

It was the sort of creative he did to his room. The drawings and writings on his walls. The destruction he’d done to his room was similar to the destruction he did to the paper. When they decided to call it done for the day Klaus would have almost called it therapeutic. 

“Next time I’m going to bring more pictures of Claire,” Allison smiled.

Which was how scrapbooking at least once a month with Allison was added to his his busy schedule.

One issue Klaus had with his power (he had a lot of issues about it) was how often he was the first to find out that someone (Ben) was dead. So a few months after his welcome home party and he saw Burgess walking through the door he knew. Burgess had been one of the boys who visited from out of state so it wasn’t like he’d let himself into the house like Phil or Cade did. 

Klaus called Phil and Cade, letting them know the news as he watched Burgess come to terms with what happened. He hoped he’d know when the funeral was. Not that he needed to go to say respectful words about Burgess, but he knew it’d be good if he went for Phil and Cade at least. 

The day after Burgess showed up he finally said something to Klaus, “I have water aerobics today.”

Klaus raised his eyebrows, “You’re dead, buddy.”

Burgess rolled his eyes, “I know, Spook. But you should go in my place.”

“I live a literal plane ride away from your YMCA,” Klaus argued, lighting a cigarette. Having a conversation with a newly deceased friend was hard and he wanted something stronger than tobacco, but that wasn’t an option. 

“Go to your YMCA then,” Burgess said. “Listen, I spoke with Dave and your brother last night while you slept and I know you don’t have anything planned today.”

“I don’t think you’re dealing with your death well if you’re trying to get me to go to your water class,” Klaus took a drag of the cigarette.

“It’s my death, doofus, I can deal with it however I choose,” Burgess pointed at him.

“I think it’s a decent idea,” Dave said, walking into the room. “I’d like to see you in a swimsuit.”

“Dave, I--” Klaus started but got cut off by Ben.

“You do have a membership with the YMCA,” Ben walked through a wall as the door was blocked by Burgess and Dave.

Burgess grinned at that, “Perfect. Spook, find someone to drive you there and sign up for the class.”

Klaus looked at the three ghosts as he flicked some ash off his cigarette. They all looked worried for him. He couldn’t say for sure about Burgess but it appeared to be concern in his eyes. Frowning, he wondered why they’d be extra worried for him. 

Lighting a new cigarette off the old one he tried to ignore how his hands shook. 

_Oh._

That was why.

Burgess was the first of his war buddies who passed away since he came back from Vietnam. He knew it would be something he’d had to deal with one day. He was reminded often at how much older Cade and Phil were than him. Cade had recently been in the hospital for a few days and Klaus had not handled that well. And now Burgess was standing in front of him. Sure, not the first time a friend (or brother) had died, but somehow this had felt different. It wasn’t sudden and he couldn’t rage against something that had killed him. He’d died of natural causes.

Fuck.

And he’d already almost smoked a pack of cigarettes since Burgess showed up. They were probably worried about his sobriety. Klaus was worried about his sobriety now that he thought about it. Probably the only reason he wasn’t drunk right now was that all the booze was locked away in Five’s room and Five would stab him if he tried to get to it. 

That’s the only reason he wasn’t drunk right now, right? It wasn’t that he was healing and getting better and didn’t crave the numbness as much, getting used to _feelings_ , right? It wasn’t that the people he cared about (the people who cared about him) had been teaching him healthy coping methods, right? 

Those were crazy thoughts. He was just as fucked up as ever, right?

Burgess had been talking to Dave and Ben. They probably saw the signs before Klaus did. Keep him distracted and Klaus would never say no to something his newly dead friend said. Not that they didn’t trust him him or didn’t realize how much he had _healed_ already. But it was a trigger, surely. If anything was a trigger this was one. They were being supportive, like family should be. That they’d been working on since the apocalypse didn’t happen.

Klaus sighed and put out his cigarette, “Okay.”

The three of them smiled at him. Like they were proud of him. Gross.

Getting up he went searching for someone, someone solid because they were right. Just because he was doing better didn’t mean he was better. And the YMCA he’d be going to was in the neighborhood he used to live in, that would have more temptation than hiding out in the mansion would. So he needed someone alive to make sure he didn’t go down any of the alleys.

“Diego!” Klaus yelled when he saw him.

Diego stopped walking and waited for Klaus to come to him, “Klaus?”

“I need a ride,” Klaus batted his eyelashes. 

“No,” Diego started to turn away.

“Come on, bro! I can’t call an uber because I need uh--” Klaus paused and looked to the side for support. They all nodded, wanting him to _say it_. Sighing, he continued, “I need someone to make sure I don’t relapse again.”

Diego turned back to Klaus, “Why? Where are you going?”

“The YMCA,” Klaus picked at his thumbnail.

“How would you relapse at the YMCA? And why do you need to go there?” Diego crossed his arms, not believing him.

Which was fair.

“The YMCA I need to go to is near where I used to live,” Klaus shrugged.

“Okay. First, you’re a member at the YMCA? Second, why do you have to go to that one? There are others around, there’s one closer than that one probably,” Diego said.

“Di, I was homeless. YMCA has showers. You bet your ass I saved up the money to pay the yearly dues so I could have a safe place to shower,” Klaus ignored the hurt look on everyone’s face. “And the reason why we have to go to that one is that its where my swimsuit is.”

Diego relented. When they were in the car, Klaus for once in shotgun as the back had three ghosts in it, he asked, “Why do you need to go the YMCA so bad?”

Klaus eyed Burgess in the backseat, “Because I have to go to water aerobics class.”

_”Why?”_ Diego said, “Why are you going to a water aerobics class?”

“Because Burgess is a loser who did things like that,” he smirked at his friend. 

Thankfully Diego didn’t ask about Burgess. Klaus wasn’t sure if he could tell anyone else his friend was dead again. Not so soon. Not that news would mean as much to Diego as it did to Phil and Cade. 

When they got there Klaus asked after the classes, and as there was one soon he signed up for it and waited. Klaus felt bad about the idea of Diego sitting around doing nothing while Klaus went to the water aerobics class, “I got an extra swimsuit if you want to join?”

Diego gave him _a look_.

“It’s hawaiian print!” Klaus grinned.

Sighing, Diego waved his hand, “Fine.”

Which was how once a week Klaus and Diego would try to make it to a water aerobics class. Diego always wearing Klaus’s hawaiian printed trunks and Klaus wearing his slightly tighter tiger print suit. Sure, the class was full of people around Burgess’s age, and none of them were his friends from when he’d go to class, but Burgess still tended to show up and cheer Klaus on.

A few weeks later Klaus had a day where he didn’t think about drugs once. Sure the next day he did and then he realized that the previous day he didn’t _want_. He’d been so busy lately he’d been thinking about them less and less. Sure, he’d never not _want,_ but it was a sign of progress that there was at least one day where the only thing he’d been worrying about was that he’d be home in time to watch Ellen. 

Later that day, when Phil had stopped by to drop off some cookies he’d made Klaus, told him. About how yesterday he’d been busy with chess and knitting and Ellen, that he didn’t have time to think about drugs. Sure, this realization made him want drugs more because they were such an important part of himself for so long that not thinking about drugs or drinking felt like betrayal (he knew it wasn’t), but he still told Phil. 

Grinning and patting Klaus on the back, Phil said, “Good. I’m glad to hear that. And it’s good that you’ve made more friends than us old farts.” 

“What do you mean?” Klaus asked. His friends who were alive were Phil and Cade. 

“Your siblings, Spook,” Phil shook his head fondly. “You’ve become friends with them. I’ve seen it. You all interact and care about each other now. You’re closer to all of them. And you’ve made so many friendly acquaintances in all of your activities now.”

Was that why the sobriety was lasting so much longer this time? He had a support system? Rehab had always said that was crucial in the process. Turned out they were right. “Next week will be six months since I decided to get clean,” Klaus said quietly; worried. It wasn’t six months sober, he’d relapsed a couple times during those months, but it wasn’t like he’d end up on benders when he relapsed. Thankfully someone always found him before he would end up on a bender, but it was still a milestone.

“I knew you could do it,” Phil smiled.

“Ha! You were the only one,” Klaus tried to keep his voice light, as if he was joking.

“Somehow I doubt that,” Phil said, obviously seeing through the tone.

So maybe Klaus’s life wasn’t perfect. He still saw the dead, had to deal with his addictions, some crime fighting, his siblings fighting, flashbacks to the war, and nightmares of a life of pain but things were looking better. He had friends and family who cared about him, he had distractions to keep him sane, he had Dave, he had support for once in his life. 

He could do this.

He could live a (semi) healthy life.

_He could do this._

**Author's Note:**

> Btw you _know_ that for phil’s Birthday Klaus takes him to a taping of Ellen.


End file.
